Semaphore



www2.,

W. F. BOSSI-IRT. sEMAPHoRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l. |921.

PatentedSept. 6, 1921;

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. F. BOSSERT.

SEMAPHORE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, 1921.

Patentedpt. 6., 192k 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

.l II a narran stares WILLIAM F. BDSSERT,

rarest ,N arriba..

or Urrea, New venir.

snMArnoRn.

Application led June 1,

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

n Be it known that l, WILLIAM F. Bossnirr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphores,` of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to semaphoresand has for an object to provide means for attaching the blade to a spectacle embodying new and improved features of rigidity, economy and reliability. A

it is well known that in signaling practice the semaphores comprise ordinarily 'a part known as' a spectacle and a part known as the blade, which must be and are attached together in some way, as by means of bolts, rivets or the like. `The semaphore, subject as it is to a great number of oscillations, tends .to wear the parts connecting the blade with the spectacle, resulting in loose joints, as for instance by the wearing out of the holes, or the wearing smaller' of the rivets whereby a looseness is occasioned between the bla de and the spectacleg'resulting eventually in shearing `the rivets or bolts ordisconnecting the blade from-the spectacle to the disadvantage and danger to the signaling system. l y

rlhe ,present invention comprises a clamp, which, while employing bolts, does not depend upon the bolts for the connecting of the blade with the spectacle, but provides a clamping mechanism between which andthe spectacle the bladev is rigidly clamped and held against movementrof any kind.

lt is well known that the spectacle part of railway signaling semaphores have now been standardized, there being, however, two standards known in the art as the old standard and the new standard, which vary principally in the relation of the bolt holes through the spectacle. An object of the present invention is to provide a single clamping apparatuswhich will operate in conjunction with both standards, whereby a single uniform clampingapparatus will serve the purpose of clamping blades to all spectacles now commonly in use in railway signaling.

ln the drawings: f f

Figure 1 is a view in side `elevation of a conventional standardized spectacle withfa VSpecification of Letters Patent. y Patentd'Spij. 6, 1921-;

1921. Serial No. 474,187.

fragment of acblade secured thereto by the improved clamp whichforms the subject matter of Lthis application;

Fig.` 2 is a view insection taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figy is a viewV in plan of the clamping unit with the boltsl andwedge members removed; n Fig. 4l is a view in inverted plan of the wedge member with the bolt shown in sectionf Fig. 5 is a view in plan of a modification wherein two of lthe clamping members are connected by bridge pieces; f

Fig. 6 is a' view insectionof a modified type of clamping member and wedge members, and Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the clamping member used in the modification shown at Fig. 6.

Like characters of referencefindicate corresponding parts, through the several views.

At Fig. 1 arstandard spectacle is shown as an entirety at 10, such spectacle embodying features combined with the present vention consisting of flanges'll and 12 and an auxiliary flange 13.

Except for minor details of design and for the difference of the spacing of the bolt holes, all of the spectacles in common use in up-to-date railroad signaling conform to the spectacle thus disclosed. f'

With this spectacle `a blade 14: is employed and while the spectacles are standardized there are a considerable number of differentl blades on the market and in use for use with such spectacle, anda considerable number of different means for attaching blades to the spectacles. rlhe specific blade which is shown in theV drawing is immaterial to the present invention, which is directed to the clamp, eirceptthat the corrugations appearing therein must of `necessity conform to the curvature of the clamping mechanism which operates therewith. As shown in the drawing, that portion o f the blade 14: which connects directly to the spectacle is provided with corrugationgl `15 and 16. These corrugations 15 and 16 which occur at the place designed for attachment to the spectacle are extended preferably throughout the length of the blade for the purpose' of stiifening and rigidifying the blade for the purpose of resisting wind pressure and other force applied thereto.

locking Washer 27.`

As shown at Fig. 1, two of the clamping mechanisms are employed, eachcomprising a keeper indicated as an entirety at 17, havstandard.

the end of themember 17. The keeper is Vprovided with inclined vsurfaces 20 and 21',

the latter being adjacent the opening 18,

andthe Wedge member 19 is provided with co-acting and complementary inclined sur- Vfaces 22 `and 23, co-acting With the surfaces 2O and 21v respectively under the stress. of the bolt 24 which is pivotedthereto at 25 and after extending through the member 17 the blade 14 and the spectacle 10, is provided with a nut 26 and preferably with' a The Wedge member 19, in addition to having a wedging action indicated by the lcoaction of the surfaces 2O and 22, 21'and v23,

is provided Vwith a Vdown-turned Vlinger 28 Which engages exteriorly of the flangesll and12, VVor the flange 13, according to thel l i f provided 1n the type shownV at Figs. l to 5 position .ofthe parts.

.As the blades ordinarily employed semaphore signaling are enameled, it is desirable to protectthe enameling-.against chip- ',ping or other damage, Vfor Which reason cushions or paddings 29'V are interpesedlbe- Atween the blade and thespectacle andpadding 30 between( the' clamping member-17 and the blade.

It is obvious that by applying tension by use of the nut/26 upon the bolt 24 the clamping member 19 Will be drawn against'the member 17 to in turn ldraw the member 17 against theV blade and the blade against the Y spectacle, considering alwaysrthe interposition of lthe padding, but in addition, the

,pivoting of the bolt 24 to the Wedge member andthe flanges 11, clamps the `blade against angular movement relative to the spectacle structure. `W here .the entire equipment of a road, for instance, `is Ystandardized to Vone! of .the standards, it is found desirable'to con- 'nectV one'of the two members 17 into a single structure 17 ,-bridged by means of bars "31, as shown at Fig. 5.

As afmodili'cation of the structurel shown .at Figs. 1, to.5 inclusive, a keeper 32 may be -employed havingV perforations 33, not intended as elongated slots such as the openings 18, but tofregisterwith the openings the spectacle and the blade. The member 23 is conformedvto engage against the corrugations 15 and 16, thesame asin theV `types heretofore described, and is provided With inclinedV shoulders 34. Through the "perforation'33 and through the blade bolts 35'are extended bolts 37, connected with. the

Wedging members, which latter comprise two units, the unit, 36 having an inclined extremity 37 engagingl against the inclined shoulder 34, and the unit 38ihaving an inclined shoulder 39 bearing against an vinclined surface 40 vof the unit-36. The units 36 and 38 are provided with elongated openings 41 and 42 respectively, through Which the bolt 37 extends, the head 43` of the bolt Vvbearing upon the unit 38; The unit 36 is provided-With an engaging extremity 44 and theunit 38With a finger 45.

to the unit 38 by means of the boltandhead 43, theinclined surface 39 slides downthe surface 40 and serves to draw the unit 38 The action ofV the parts is such that When stress is applied with the finger 45 against the flange 12 or '.11` andfforces the extremity 44 against the inclusive, augumenting'the clamping of the flanges upon theinner surface. The pad- Vding 29 and 30 is employed in this'type the same as in the Vtype which islshovvn at Figs. 1- to 5 inclusive. v i v Vfn either type it will be understood that lbladesof substantially theusual and ordinary-,form ingeneral Iappearance and effect Will be employed requiring only the corrugations 15 and 16 Which are found necessary for strengthening thefblade and to operate in conjunction with spectacles of standard type, Vso that the equipment disclosed in the present application maybe applied directly Vto the signaling apparatus noW in use Without modification. By the employment of de vices as disclosed, which clamp the blade firmly andjrigidly to the spectacleV Without inated'. Y

' What I' claim to be neWis :V Y

1.' The combination With/a spectacle of usual and vordinary construction, of a semaphore blade having longitudinal corrugations therein, aclamping member lconformed to engage the corrugations of theblade,

Vand wedging V- members co-acting with the clamping member clamping such member into engagement with the blade and exerting stress upon the margins ofthe spectacle. V2. The combination `With a spectacle of usual and ordinary construction, of'a semaphoreblade, a clamping memberfcomple- Vdanger or possibility of loosening partsfby Y VWear and by the proper use ofllocking -Wash- -ers underthe nuts- 26, alldanger of separa- .tion of the blade from the spectacle is elimimentary to the transverse conformation of the blade, wedging members having inclined and movable engagement with the clamping member, bolts from the wedging members inserted through the blade and the spectacle, and means carried by the wedging members for engaging the margins of the spectacle.

3. The combination with a spectacle of usual and ordinary construction, of a semaphore blade proportioned for co-action with the spectacle, a clamping member complementary to the transverse conformation of the blade, bolts extending through the clamping member of the blade and the spectacle, clamping the clamping member against the blade and the blade against the spectacle, and wedge members interposed and receiving pressure from the bolts proportioned to exert stress upon the margins of the spectac e.

4. The combination with a spectacle of the usual and ordinary construction, of a semaphore blade proportioned for co-action therewith, a clamping member complementary to the transverse conformation of the blade, bolts extending through the clampingV a clamping member proportioned to extend transversely across VJthe blade and complementary to the conformation thereof, bolts extending through registering openings in the clamping member of the blade and the spectacle, said clamping member being provided adjacent the openings with inclined cam surfaces, a wedge member having inclined surfaces complementary to the cam surfaces of the clamping member and with hooks at their outer extremities engaging over the margins of the spectacle, and bolts extending through the clamping member of the blade and the spectacle and exerting stress upon the wedging member, tending` to move the wedging member upon the inclined cam surfaces to draw the hooked extremities into clamping engagement with the margins of the spectacle and to clamp the clamping member rigidly against the blade' and the blade against the spectacle.

6. The combination with a standard spectacle, of a blade proportioned for co-action therewith, a clamping member extending transversely across the blade and complementary to the conformation thereof, said clamping member, blade and spectacle being provided with registering perforations and the clamping member with inclined cam surfaces adjacent the perforations, a wedgmg tion a clam ino' organization com risin.`

7 n b l co-acting parts, one of whichk engages against the inclined surface of the clamping member and the interior of the marginal flange of the spectacle, and the other engages against an inclined surface of the rstmentioned part and provided with `means for engaging the exterior of the marginal fiange of the spectacle, and a bolt inserted through the registering openings and through the parts of the clamping member to effect such clamping action. j n 8. The combination with 'a standard spectacle, of a blade proportioned for co-action therewith, a clamping member extending transversely across the blade and complementarv to the conformation thereof, said clamping member, blade and spectacle being provided with registering perforations and the clamping member with inclined cam surfaces adjacent the perforations, awedging organization comprising two members, one of which bears against the inclined cam surface of the clamping member and is proportioned to bear against the interior of the flange of the blade when moved in engagement with the cam vsurface of said yclamping member, the other wedge member being provided with an inclined vcam surface co-,acting with an inclined cam surface of the first wedge member and having` a hook: adapted t0 engage the exterior of the flange ofthe blade when moved in relation to the cam surface of the first mentioned wedging member, and a bolt inserted through both of said wedging members, the clamping member, the blade and the spectacle adapted to move both of said wedging members into wedgingengagement with the flange and the clamping member in engagement with the blade. ln testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

A 7WlILLlrrM F. BOSSERT. Witnesses: i

FRANKLIN H. Honest, JEANETTE H. SHAILER. 

